Hurricane Helene huffed & puffed, but most pig sanctuaries survived

(Beth Clifton collage)

Farmed pigs were not so lucky.  They never are.

PROVIDENCE, North Carolina––Farmed animal sanctuaries throughout the Hurricane Helene disaster zone are looking to Providence for help,  hope,  and leadership.

Specifically,  to Providence,  North Carolina,  just south of the Virginia state line,  home of Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary,  now coordinating pig and other farmed animal sanctuary rescue missions throughout the region.

(Ziggy’s Rescue Farm Sanctuary photo)

Pig sanctuaries defy “pork belt” politics

Founded in 2016 by vegan activists Kristin Hartness,  38,  and Jay Yontz,  41, Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary was among the first of a small constellation of farmed animal rescues mostly begun by back-to-the-earthers with little or no actual farming or nonprofit management experience,  but high hopes and ambitions,  in the southeastern part of what agribusiness calls the “pork belt.”

The ”pork belt,” consisting entirely of politically “red” states,  deeply conservative and often hostile toward vegans,  stretches as a whole from North Carolina to North Dakota,  with Missouri as the metaphorical buckle.

The right side of the buckle coincides with what weather maps now show as Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction.

(Ziggy’s Rescue Farm Sanctuary photo)

No pigs happy in Hurricane Helene mud

North Carolina,  the hardest-hit state,  ranks third in the U.S. in commercial pig production,  with about 9.4 million pigs on farms at any given time.

This is approximately ten times as many pigs as the combined pig populations of the also Hurricane Helene-hit states of Kentucky,  Tennessee,  South Carolina,  and Georgia,  where pig farming is also a leading agricultural industry.

The fate of most of the pigs in commercial farming operations remains largely unreported,  but “happy as pigs in mud” scarcely applies to those drowned by flooding,  `buried alive by landslide muck,  or trapped in damaged barns without food,  potable water,  or ventilation,  cut off from help by washed-out roads.

(Ziggy’s Rescue Farm Sanctuary photo)

Energetic optimism

Amid all that,  the energetic optimism of Hartness and Yontz,  rallying fellow small-scale start-up sanctuarians,  stood out from Hartness’s first Facebook postings after electricity and internet service was restored on September 28,  2024.

“We’ve finally heard from rescues in western North Carolina and it’s absolutely catastrophic,”  Hartness acknowledged.  “As of right now we need to get three generators,  gas,  feed, and a mile long list of supplies to Sweet Bear,  Harley June’s and Potbelly Acres,”  three of the first pig sanctuaries whose situations were known.

“This list will get longer,”  Hartness knew.

“Jay will be loading up the horse trailer and truck and we have volunteers going to up with chainsaws and work gloves ready to do whatever they can.

(Beth Clifton collage)

“Now there are seven others that need us”

“The list of supplies we’re sending up will be well over $5,000 worth,”  Hartness said,  “but these are beautiful people who devoted their lives to animals and so far no one has offered assistance.

“The humans and animals don’t have water or food,  and no way of getting either,”  Hartness continued.  “It’s estimated that power won’t be restored for weeks. The human homes aren’t even livable.”

Within 24 hours Hartness updated that,  “Our jobs are far from over.  Now there are seven others that need us.”

(Beth Clifton collage)

Collecting drinking water from mud puddles

Flying Pig Sanctuary,  in Cairo,  Georgia,  4Them Sanctuary in Sweetwater,  Tennessee,  and Red Feather Farm in Winston-Salem,  North Carolina,  were also “collaborating in rescue efforts and doing all we can to help rescue our fellow rescues that need help worse than ever,”  Hartness mentioned.

“Today was such an amazing day!!!” Hartness added that evening.  “Sweet Bear Rescue,”  in Flat Rock,  North Carolina,   “Harley June’s,”  in Morganton,  North Carolina,  “and Potbelly Acres [a name shared by several organizations] all have brand new generators,  which means they all have water for their animals.  We sent out three huge loads of life saving supplies.

“Jay and our volunteer Lou worked all day cleaning and clearing Harley June’s.  Amy Mullins [the 55-year-old founder of Harley June’s] was so happy that she didn’t have to collect water from mud puddles to give her babies water anymore.

Amy Mullins, (Harley June’s Sanctuary photo)

150 pigs & not yet nonproft

“This week we will be sending a large load to Animal Haven [another name shared by multiple organizations] and our partners will be delivering to Luna and Mother Clucker’s,”  Hartness continued.

“We’ll be buying Amy 4,000 pounds of pig food in the next couple of days,”  Hartness pledged.

Amy Mullins started Harley June’s Farm & Sanctuary with only three pigs in 2019.  Harley June’s is apparently still not incorporated as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,  even though this is the very first thing most animal sanctuaries do.

Harley June’s had “over 150 pigs in desperate need,”  Hartness said,  among as many as 250 total animals.

(Red Feather Equine Rescue Facebook photos/ Beth Clifton collage)

Red Feather Farm

“We are in contact with several animal organizations that are on scene in Asheville and surrounding areas to support cat and dog evacuations via air,”  Red Feather Farm,  headed by Allison Bowling and Joshua Pietrafeso,  posted on September 29,  2024.

“Please know there is not presently a plan to evacuate large animals because the roads are impassable and there is no way to get trailers in or animals out.  All passable routes are for emergency use only,”  Red Feather Farm warned.

“We are loading the first trucks and trailer to bring aid to large animals in Asheville and surrounding areas,”  Red Feather Farm updated a day later.

“Once we unload we can transport animals in our trailer if needed,”  Red Feather Farm continued.  “We will be back throughout the week to assist with animal evacuations as the coordinating teams are ready to start mobilizing those resources.

(Red Feather Equine Rescue Facebook photo/ Beth Clifton collage)

“Better for farms to shelter in place”

“We are receiving hundreds of messages a day about foster locations for farm animals,”  Red Feather Farm acknowledged.  “When possible,  it is better for farms to shelter in place.

“Major roads in and out of Asheville to the east are mostly open,  although traffic is stop and go due to utility and road work,”  Red Feather Farm offered on October 2,  2024.

“People from around the country are working day and night to restore power,  open roads and bring hope to the area.

“County roads and side streets are generally impassable.  There are downed trees and power lines everywhere,  with washed out roads,  bridges,  and mudslide areas.

“Valleys and river banks are littered with debris,  swept away vehicles and homes.  There are still many people and places that first responders have yet to reach.”

Tera Macintosh.
(Misfit Mountain Facebook photo)

Misfit Mountain

At Misfit Mountain,  a pit bull sanctuary in Clyde,  North Carolina,  20 miles west of Asheville,  also “a safe haven for cats,  pigs,  chickens and small animals,”  according to Jessica Guay of KDKA television in Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  “Hurricane Helene unleashed devastating flooding.”

“The roads were washed away. The pigs and chickens had to be moved to a higher location,”  Misfit Mountain cofounder Tera McIntosh,  42,  told Guay.

“Our fencing was lost,”  McIntosh said,  along with a campground on the premises that helped to fund the animal care.”

“The rescue property still has no water,”  said Guay,  “and the founders are dealing with limited phone service and gas for vehicles,”  but in Pittsburgh,  500 miles north,  802 Bean Company coffee shop owner Megan Schrader in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood “is brewing support,”  Guay reported.

(Share the Moon Sanctuary photo/ Beth Clifton collage)

Share The Moon

Share The Moon Animal Sanctuary,  founded in 2018 by Courtney Maloney in Waynesboro,  North Carolina,  “got 12 and a half inches of rain.  That makes for a lot of mud,  but we aren’t underwater like so many areas around us,”  Maloney said.

Share The Moon was without power for “only” 48 hours.  Two resident pigs,  Indie and Sylvie,  “have never looked as clean as they do now,”  Maloney added,  since “They were taking showers in the rain for three days.”

Beryl Lynn Grossbard,  37,  Matt Pike,  46,  and their children in 2019 founded their Wild Heart Farm & Sanctuary in Mars Hill,  North Carolina.  From a public library two towns away,  Beryl Grossbard mentioned having “had two gas cans stolen out of my truck,  so I am not sure when I can get gas to drive back to the library and respond to anyone.  The largest feed store in our area is under water so I am expecting a hay shortage.”

Miriam Gilligan.
(Piggys by the Sea Facebook photo)

Piggies By The Sea

Other pig sanctuaries were quick to help those in need,  to the extent that they could.

Miriam Gilligan,  44,  founder of the Piggies By The Sea sanctuary in Hubert,  North Carolina,  was also among those helping Harley June’s Farm & Sanctuary.

“While clean water is essential,”  Gilligan cautioned,  “the weight of a pallet of water is over the limits of” a standard two-wheel rental trailer.

Heather Brandon,  41,  of Rocky Top Rescue in Oakdale,  Tennessee,  only begun in 2023,  said her organization is “coordinating support for east Tennessee and western North Carolina large animals.

“The focus remains on human needs right now,”  Brandon said,  “but we are prepared when the time comes to assist animals,  other rescues,  and their owners.”

Leslie Naylor. (4Them Sanctuary, Inc Facebook photo)

4Them Sanctuary

Leslie Naylor,  58,  who founded the 4Them Sanctuary in Sweetwater,  Tennessee,  in 2018,  delivered “100 gallons of water to the city shelter,”  she mentioned,  along with “some non-perishable food for the workers as well.

“We also got an amazing donation of feed from Tractor Supply,”  Naylor acknowledged,  “that we’ll be getting to a drop-off point to be distributed among the sanctuaries affected.”

As of October 2,  2024,  Naylor mentioned,  she and her volunteers were working with Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Animal Sanctuary “to get goods and supplies to humans and animal victims of this crisis in North Carolina.”

Beth Downs.
(Southern Oaks Sanctuary Facebook photo)

Southern Oaks Sanctuary

Posted Beth and Keith Downs,  ages 60 and 69,  from the Southern Oaks Sanctuary in Thomson, Georgia,  after the Hurricane Helene wind and rain subsided,  “Yesterday was a day we won’t forget.  We were able to at least clear a path for the babies to move back and forth from the woods towards the front yard.

“We have a long way to go with rebuilding,  but everything damaged is replaceable.

“Our power company sent an alert via text stating they’re looking at an estimate of 2-3 weeks before power is restored,  since we’re such a small town,  but also because we live far out.

“All the fruits and vegetables for the pigs are going bad and they will lose all the food in the freezer as well.”

The Southern Oaks “transport pen/trailer [was found] lying under two trees that had fallen.”

Finding a generator for sale anywhere in a four-state radius,  Beth and Keith Downs reported,  appeared to be impossible.

Tanya Freymuth.
(Live Freely Sanctuary Facebook photo)

Live Freely Sanctuary

The Live Freely Sanctuary in Newberry, Florida,  founded by former Ziggy’s Refuge volunteer Tanya Freymuth,  29,  obtained a generator with help from Ziggy’s.

“It’s been chaos juggling everything needed to keep the animals cool,”  Freymuth acknowledged.  “We have been without power for four days from Hurricane Helene,”  with no hope of restoration for another several days,  “and lost some of our roof.

“We have 20 special needs bunnies we care for,  as well as other indoor animals that we’re struggling to keep cool with the small generator,”  Freymuth said.

Karla Dumas.
(Yesahcan Sanctuary Facebook photo)

Yesahcan Sanctuary

“We’re still without power and reliable cell service,”  reported Karla and Jody Dumas,  ages 41 and 51,  founders in 2018 of the Yesahcan Sanctuary in Lake City,  Florida,   “but the propane was refilled,  meaning we have another week or so on the generator,  if needed.  Things are slowly getting back to normal.

“We’ve been working nonstop here and have been able to secure the perimeter fencing and structures that were damaged in the storm,”  Karla and Jody Dumas said.

“The generator is powering the well pump to ensure fresh water is accessible throughout the property.  We’re hoping the propane reserves last until power is restored.”

Yesahcan was housing about 75 animals of multiple farmed species.

(Mother Clucker’s Microsanctuary Facebook photo)

Mother Clucker’s Microsanctuary

Posted Anissa Methany,  58,  of Mother Clucker’s Microsanctuary in Leicester,  South Carolina,  after Hurricane Helene passed,  “We are okay!  We’re listening to an update on the car radio and drove up the road and finally got cell service!  It was a scary night Thursday,  with “rain and wind and trees falling all around,”  but “Not a single tree fell on our property. We had no idea the devastation that took place around us.”

Almost a week later,  though,  again after driving “up the road to get our morning radio update and cell service,”  Methany admitted that, “Emotionally,  the devastation our community and communities around us are going through is hitting us.  We’ve been running on adrenaline.  Now all the emotions are coming in.

“Friends let us use their shower today and have also let us use their water to refill our water jugs. We are in line right now to get gas and I cannot even express what a relief that is. Having a full tank right now is a huge big deal.”

Joshua Carpenter & Evan Costner.
(Cotton Branch Farm Animal Sanctuary photos)

Cotton Branch Farm Animal Sanctuary

At the Cotton Branch Farm Animal Sanctuary,  founded in Leesville,  South Carolina earlier in 2024 by Joshua Carpenter and Evan Costner,  ages 51 and 39,  “Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc,”  they said.

“We’ve been without power, our generators are not working after multiple attempts to fix them,  trees are down,  power lines are down all around us,  cell service is extremely unreliable,  and there are gas shortages across the region.”

“Oy! What a Monday!”

Outsiders Farm & Sanctuary founders Daniel and Corrine Baker moved to Bowersville, Georgia in 2015 with their children Mara,  Porter,  and Eisley.

“Oy! What a Monday!” Corrine Baker posted on October 1,  2024.

“We’re currently dealing with a mud issue,  and in front of the goat barn,  it’s extra bad.

“The lack of power has serious implications for us : we cannot run the fans and the air purifiers we rely on for good air quality and ventilation in some of our barns and our well is inoperable,  leaving us reliant on hauling water from the fire department—an exhausting process when we need 1,000 to 2,000 gallons daily.

“We’ve tried to contact our well company and some local electricians to see if we can wire our well pump to our generator, but the demand for electricians in our small community is overwhelming.

Dawn Baker.
(Wallow in the Woods Facebook photo)

“Had both a chainsaw & a generator on wishlist”

“We had both a chainsaw and a generator on the emergency preparedness wishlist,”  Corrine Baker mentioned.  “There are none available in town.  We did the best we could to prepare and the animals rode out the storm untouched.  We will take that as a win.

Dawn Baker,  50,  at the Wallow In The Woods Pig Sanctuary in Metter,  Georgia,  founded in 2017,  reported a similar situation.

“With a lot of hard work, and a handful of wonderful hard-working friends, we were able to clear four pens today.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude!”  Dawn Baker said.

“We still have downed power lines in our yard and no power.  We don’t own equipment. These trees are BIG.  The pig houses are mostly gone.  All of the pigs are safe,  but many have lost their shelters.  We desperately need panels to keep them separate.”

(The Sanctuary at Soledad Goats Facebook photo)

“This is the end”

Many small sanctuaries may not survive Hurricane Helene.

Sweet Bear Rescue Farm founder Lisa McDonald,  43,   in a GiveButter online appeal issued before Hurricane Helene hit mentioned being already $29,500 in debt.   A 2020 Blue Ridge Times article indicated that Sweet Bear Rescue Farm was in financial trouble even then.

Piggy Protective Services,  of Daytona Beach,  Florida,  founded by Amanda Kincaid earlier in 2024,  already had persistent flooding and needed to “transition to move to a better location,”  supporter Susan Weiss Terzo posted on August 11,  2024.

Posted founders Julian and Carol Pearce,  78 and 67,  respectively,  from The Sanctuary at Soledad Goats,  a former goat farm that transitioned to a vegan farm animal sanctuary in 2015 and relocated from Mojave,  California to Mayo,  Florida in 2019,  “This is the end.  As far as we can tell there is no way to come back from this.

“All of our animals survived unscathed.  We heard the news and transferred them to our most sturdy barn,”  the smallest,  where “They were all huddled together during incredible winds topping over 100 mph+.

Merritt & Beth Clifton with Henry the rooster.

“Hurricane Helene ripped through our property damaging all but one small barn. We have threes barns in complete ruin,  and our mobile home was shifted around and damaged.”

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